Not in Hurry to be Number 1 in EVs, Focusing on Addressing Customer Concerns: Maruti

Maruti Suzuki is not in a hurry to become the number one player in the electric vehicle space. It is rather focusing on instilling confidence in customers about the technology by addressing concerns like range anxiety, service availability, and resale value of EVs, said Maruti’s senior executive officer, marketing and sales, Partho Banerjee.

He said the company may be late to enter the EV market in India but it is going to have a big play going forward on the back of the ecosystem it is developing in the country for the technology. Banerjee was addressing a media roundtable on Tuesday after an event showcasing Maruti’s efforts towards building an EV ecosystem.

“First, we want to just win the confidence of the customers. Obviously, we are going to have a big play in this (EV) segment also. We are not in a hurry to be number one or something like that,” Banerjee said when asked about the company’s expectations for its market share in the EV segment in the near term.

Maruti plans to commence sales of its first EV, e-Vitara, in the Indian market from next year. Ahead of that, the company has established over 2,000 exclusive charging points at its sales and service touch points spanning over 1,100 cities. Customers will be able to access the points with its ‘e for me’ app.

Maruti has invested about Rs 250 crore towards establishing the charging infrastructure and developing the app, said Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director & CEO of Maruti.

It has also deployed over 1.50 lakh EV-trained workforce. Maruti has not revealed the price or when bookings will open for the e-Vitara, but it said customers will have the option to own the 543-km range vehicle with battery-as-a-service, along with a buyback guarantee from the company.

“When we start selling, then only we will do (announce the pricing). We don't believe in unnecessarily announcing 3–4 months in advance and then not starting sales. We don't believe in that. Many of the OEMs do that. We believe: what's the point of announcing and not delivering the car?,” Banerjee said.

However, Maruti is already exporting the vehicle to European countries like the UK and Germany, while exports to Japan will commence in January.

Banerjee said Maruti’s entry in the EV market with a strong ecosystem of charging and service will give customers confidence. However, he declined to put a number to the segment’s growth in the near term with Maruti’s entry.

“We are selling 1,80,000 cars every month. Will 4,000–5,000 cars make any difference?” Banerjee said when asked about Maruti’s expectations from e-Vitara in terms of sales. He emphasized building a robust ecosystem before looking at numbers.

He said many early adopters of electric cars in India had a “bad experience with EV products” in terms of range and after-sales service, which created a lot of negativity about the segment.

“What we want is this: EV as a product, if you take it from the right OEMs, does not lead to such consequences. As a company, Maruti is working on that. That's why we are not in a hurry,” Banerjee explained.

According to the FY25 annual report of Maruti, it targets 35% of its sales coming from CNG vehicles, 25% from ethanol-blended fuel (ICE vehicles), 25% from hybrids, and 15% from EVs by FY31.

Currently, Tata Motors is the leading player in the electric car market. However, it has seen erosion in its EV leadership with rising competition from players like MG Motor and Mahindra & Mahindra. According to JMK Research & Analytics, Tata Motors’ market share declined from 69% in FY24 to 53% in FY25, while MG Motor and Mahindra gained from 13.7% to 28.17% and 6.9% to 7.73%, respectively, during the same period.

During the last financial year, about 1.10 lakh electric cars were registered in the Indian market, with a penetration of 2.54% in the passenger vehicle space.

Maruti’s e-Vitara will be competing with the likes of Hyundai Creta Electric, Mahindra BE 6, MG ZS EV, and the Tata Curvv EV.